Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Blog: Creating a Culture of Climate Consciousness 2. 2 June 16.00 BST Care of Collections Reading Group 3. RE: Quarantine process for new acquisitions 4. CAN/EMG Happy Hour - Free with Registration! 5. RE: Reassembling a Roman hull from hundreds of fragments: the Iulia Felix project 6. RE: Lead Abatement/Encapsulation: Restoration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: adrian hernandez Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 7:06 AM Subject: Blog: Creating a Culture of Climate Consciousness Message: April 22, 2026 As part of the AIC Sustainability Committee's efforts to connect with other organizations, we have invited Environment & Culture Partners to help us celebrate Earth Day by sharing their thoughts on the steps we can take to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Creating a Culture of Climate Consciousness By Al Carver-Kubik and Danielle Sakowski, Environment & Culture Partners On this Earth Day, Environment & Culture Partners <https://www.ecprs.org/> encourages you to create a culture of climate consciousness in your community of friends, colleagues, and workplace. Here we offer some thoughts on how to develop climate consciousness and influence change. As the United States has seen major backslides in climate work in 2025 and 2026 due to the federal administration's views on climate change favoring short-term economic gains and rolling back environmental policies, it is essential that we flex our individual and collective power to spur change. There has long been a debate over the impact of individual efforts versus corporate and government action (or inaction) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Studies <https://environment-review.yale.edu/youre-concerned-about-climate-change-do-your-choices-make-impact> have shown that this is not a binary issue-we must implement change both from the bottom up and from the top down to lower global GHG emissions. Yes, corporations are the largest producers of GHG emissions, and most are unlikely to commit to reducing emissions without governmental policies forcing change. While our individual actions are a drop in the GHG emission bucket, modeling emissions and waste reduction in our daily lives and our workplaces has the power to raise our climate consciousness and change the ways in which we consume, vote, and talk about climate change. This, in turn, puts pressure on the government and corporations. Collectively, our drop in the bucket becomes a rising tide. Where do we start when it comes to making our own changes, and how do we motivate our colleagues and workplace administrators to build a culture of climate consciousness across our organizations? Jim Reilly, founding director of Image Permanence Institute, often applied the adage "you can't manage what you can't measure" when discussing environmental monitoring of collections. We can approach assessing our climate impact in the same ways in which we approach environmental monitoring, by measuring emissions and waste and using that data to create a roadmap to change current behaviors; there are numerous online tools and resources available to measure GHG emissions (see the list later in this article). Top-down Approach At Environment & Culture Partners, we have established a top-down approach to track our carbon emissions <https://www.ecprs.org/our-carbon-emissions>. We set up a simple spreadsheet to track our GHG emissions associated with our home offices and our travel. We use the free, online tool Energy Star Portfolio Manager <https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/login> to track our household GHG emissions from energy usage, along with online calculators to estimate GHG emissions associated with various modes of travel and shipment of items like home office equipment. Recognizing that we cannot avoid all carbon emissions, we use carbon offsets to account for difficult-to-avoid emissions like flights to conferences. Tracking our emissions enables us to determine where offsets are appropriate and where we can set goals to reduce our impact. There are debates regarding the purchase of carbon offsets <https://earth.org/what-are-carbon-offsets/>, particularly those purchased by large corporations as a method of greenwashing. It is important to do your research and choose offset projects that follow established standards like the Verified Carbon Standard <https://verra.org/project/vcs-program/> or the Gold Standard <https://www.goldstandard.org/>. There are also registries <https://carbonbetter.com/story/carbon-offset-registries/> that ensure projects perform as expected (absorbing or reducing CO2 via proposed methods like solar, wind, reforestation etc.). Additionally, it can be beneficial to choose projects that benefit your local ecosystem and community. ECP's home region is in the Pacific Northwest. We purchase carbon offsets through Bonneville Environment Foundation (BEF) <https://www.b-e-f.org/>, a nonprofit located in Portland, Oregon. Our 2024 carbon emissions were offset with the Anew-Columbia River Forestry Project <https://acr2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=616> in Washington State, a 13,292-acre carbon sequestration project that maintains conifer forests in Southwest and Southcentral WA. The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California also took a top-down approach. The Aquarium has integrated sustainability into the institutional strategic plan as well as policies and daily operations. In 2025, the Monterey Bay Aquarium launched a sustainability campaign using a paid app <https://joulebug.com/> that helps users track sustainable actions. This institutional push for collective climate consciousness is designed to be fun with point systems and staff challenges. The Wright Museum in Detroit, Michigan is also taking a top-down approach at the community level. The museum is dedicated to climate justice and has become a leader in sustainability in the city of Detroit as well as serving as a national model. The museum has integrated environmental sustainability into its operations including energy usage, water usage and storm water diversion, and waste management. The Wright also partners with community groups, "bringing everyone to the table so that we can confront climate change and other detrimental issues directly, and effectively." As part of its top-down approach, the Wright Museum has a sustainability officer on staff to guide sustainability efforts. Not all cultural organizations have the resources to hire dedicated sustainability officers or climate consciousness at the administrative level. Developing a climate-conscious organization can start with individuals and small groups from the bottom-up. Bottom-up Approach A bottom-up approach to establishing a community of climate consciousness is by starting with "the man in the mirror," to borrow from the famous 80's song. Set up your own spreadsheet (who doesn't love a spreadsheet!) and include the lifestyle parameters you are interested in monitoring such as home energy usage, water, daily transit, diet, and air travel. Once you have established a system, share with friends and colleagues to create a community. Here are links to several carbon calculators to help you move forward with building your own spreadsheet and measuring your personal climate impact: Energy Star Portfolio Manager <https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/login> Carbon Footprint Calculator | US EPA <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/carbon-footprint-calculator> Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | US EPA <https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator> U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Economy <https://www.fueleconomy.gov/> Carbon Footprint Calculator <https://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=6> International Civil Aviation Organization Carbon Emission Calculator <https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/environmental-tools/icec> CarbonCare CO2 emissions Calculator <https://www.carboncare.org/en/co2-emissions-calculator> While zero GHG emissions and waste are commendable, reduction is the goal. Setting goals to zero isn't practical in modern society and can easily feel discouraging. Instead, how low can you go? Have a group think about ways to reduce emissions and create a roadmap for change. Some suggestions are: Set your thermostat to be seasonally a little lower or higher Low-cost improvements to your living space to increase energy efficiency Make three vegan meals a week Purchase as much locally sourced food as possible Compost food (outdoor or indoor worm bin) Join local no waste groups rather than buying new Bike or walk if applicable Hang clothes to dry Fly with environmentally responsible airlines Write one letter a week, month, or quarter to local, state, or federal legislators to advocate for climate action Buy into wind or solar energy through your electric provider if possible Purchase carbon offsets With your newfound enthusiasm and systems for measuring and monitoring GHG emissions, work with your workplace administration to implement GHG emission measuring and monitoring within the institution. An energy audit is a great place to start. The resulting report provides recommendations for improvement. Setting up a free Energy Star Portfolio Manager <https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/login> account is another good start. Log your institution's energy use from the energy bills. Once data is entered, the site produces a report on emissions. Your organization can use this data to take a systems thinking approach considering the impacts and costs of capital improvements and GHG reduction benefits and return on investment. A motivating factor is energy savings comes with fiscal savings. Then, from the top-down, the administration can encourage staff to measure, monitor, and reduce emissions. Once individual and collective emissions are measured, put GHG emissions into perspective using equivalencies <https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator>. This is a great way to visualize and understand GHG emissions. For example, a 75,000 square foot museum in New York City maintaining strict setpoints of 70°F and 50% RH uses about 42106.62 therms of natural gas annually which produces 223 metric tons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to 52 gasoline powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. It would require 3,684 tree seedlings grown for 10 years to sequester one year of carbon emitted by this museum. We hope this article has inspired you to make an Earth Day resolution to start on the path to GHG emission reduction. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect, just better. Get in touch with us! We want to hear about your path to climate consciousness! How is it going? What has worked and what hasn't worked? Email us at [email protected]. Connect and follow us on Linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/company/envcultureprs/>. This post can referenced on our Sustainability Forum Blog here: https://www.culturalheritage.org/blogs/adrian-hernandez/2026/04/21/creating-a-culture-of-climate-consciousness ------------------------------ adrian hernandez AIC Sustainability Committee Outreach Officer ------------------------------ 2.From: Meagen Smith Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 7:07 AM Subject: 2 June 16.00 BST Care of Collections Reading Group Message: The Care of Collections Reading Group explores and discusses open access articles covering preservation, collection care and collection wide conservation such as environmental monitoring, risk management, collection moves, etc. This activity provides an accountability partner for reading through the new or established research as a method of keeping our awareness high.** The group meets the first Tuesday, every two months for an hour of discussion 16.00 BST. All are welcome to attend –though if you haven't read the book/journal/article, you won't miss any spoilers: degradation, embrittlement, climate change! **2 June, 2026 via Zoom. **Session reading choices are: Arumugam, P., Thomas, T., Rega, R. and Siju John, J. (2025) Preserving the Scientific Legacy: An Integrated Pest Management Approach from a Heritage Astronomy Library. Restaurator. International Journal for the Preservation of Library and Archival Material, Vol. 46 (Issue 2), pp. 107-129. doi 10.1515/res-2024-0033 ** Al Matani, A. (2026). Defining the Intangible: Negotiating Intangible Cultural Heritage in Modern Oman. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 65(2), 117–133. doi 10.1080/01971360.2025.2526912 ** Taylor, J. (2017). Improving Reliability in Collection Condition Surveys by Utilizing Training and Decision Guides. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 56(2), 126–141. doi 10.1080/01971360.2017.1315512 Please sign up and vote for your choice with the Doodle poll https://doodle.com/sign-up-sheet/participate/55969a73-ecb0-4c20-b0df-ce7ceace3cbc/select or email [email protected] Reading choice will be counted and the decision made at the beginning of May. See you all in June. Meagen ------------------------------ Meagen Smith Library and archive conservator Lambeth Palace Library ------------------------------ 3.From: Ellen Dutton Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 7:07 AM Subject: RE: Quarantine process for new acquisitions Message: Thank you everyone for your comments, it's really useful to hear about the different things we could do! I'll have a look into the different options ------------------------------ Ellen Dutton Conservation Technician University of Leeds Library Leeds United Kingdom ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 04-13-2026 05:06 From: Ellen Dutton Subject: Quarantine process for new acquisitions Dear Colleagues, In Cultural Collections at the University of Leeds, we have frequent new acquisitions which we quarantine for four weeks before they can be catalogued and taken into our stores. We usually bag the boxes things arrive in, with the lids off, and place a pest trap on the contents of the boxes. The box is then secured in a large polythene bag and taped shut with parcel tape, but this creates quite a lot of waste with the tape being thrown away once used. After a few uses, the bags also start to get a bit torn and can easily get holes in. We looked at using Really Useful Boxes as an alternative because these are very sturdy, have strong clasps, and we have loads of them already, but unfortunately the lids aren't airtight. We were wondering what other people might use for this scenario - is there a way that people have adapted RUBs? Is there a different type of airtight box which has been used that anyone can recommend? Should we stick with using bags and parcel tape as this can be more flexible, even though it produces more waste?Any suggestions would be much appreciated!Many thanks ------------------------------ Ellen Dutton Conservation Technician Leeds University Library Cultural Collections and Galleries ------------------------------ 4.From: Alessandra Guarascio Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 1:37 PM Subject: CAN/EMG Happy Hour - Free with Registration! Message: Dear CAN! Members, We're looking forward to seeing you in-person or virtually at the Montreal Annual Meeting, which will include a great slate of talks, speed mentoring, and a lunchan session! More information about the AIC Annual Meeting program can be found here <https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.culturalheritage.org%2Fevents%2Fannual-meeting%2Fcurrent-meeting%2Fprogram&data=05%7C02%7Calessandra.guarascio%40mplus.org.hk%7C7e180499459049e7fc5708dea07087dc%7Cec75c6b68ae64650859501e181bd7eb3%7C0%7C0%7C639124602347456439%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Sfzhqn7NO0l5ktvSlBgSBsVWdW8FdrXPbryYjfcN0Ac%3D&reserved=0>. For all in-person attendees we would like to invite you to a CAN / EMG Happy Hour! This event is free to members - you just need to register! To book your tickets, go to the AIC Annual Meeting Website and click on "Manage Existing Registration". CAN / EMG Happy Hour Info Location: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Date: Thursday April 30 Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM, rolling right into the Opening Reception Transportation: Buses for happy hour participants will board at the Palais des congres Viger Terminus beginning at 6:15. Buses will leave between 6:40 and 7:15. Attendees traveling to the receptions after that time will board at the DoubleTree hotel. Staff will be around in both locations to assist. Paratransit is available, but please let Katelin Lee ([email protected] <[email protected]>) know of any needs not previously shared so she can ensure we coordinate its route accordingly. Please note: Specialty Groups will meet in one of four rooms, grouped as follows: (1) Book and Paper and Photographic Materials, (2) Objects, Architecture, Wooden Artifacts, and Textile, (3) Contemporary Art and Electronic Media, and (4) Paintings. Attendees will receive one drink ticket, and each room will have a bar with beer, wine, mocktail, and soft drinks. Passed canapes will be served throughout, and additional light snacks will be available in the entry hall. We hope to see you there! CAN! Program Committee ------------------------------ Alessandra Guarascio Conservator, Installation Art M+ Museum for Visual Culture Kowloon Hong Kong ------------------------------ 5.From: Simone Morbin Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 1:37 PM Subject: RE: Reassembling a Roman hull from hundreds of fragments: the Iulia Felix project Message: Dear Sarah Coggins, thank you so much for your reach-out and your private message! I am replying here due to a technical glitch with the platform's messaging system. In my work with the Iulia Felix, I dealt with severe iron-catalyzed oxidative degradation (with local pH levels dropping to 1). Regarding your experience at the Mary Rose, I am particularly curious about two points. First, the 'acidic sludge': when dealing with this yellowish sludge of degraded lignin, did your team explore any chemical stabilization alternatives to avoid full mechanical removal? I'm looking for ways to neutralize the process and consolidate those areas without losing more original material. Second, the corroded iron fastenings: how has your team approached their stabilization when they are in such a heavily corroded/acidic state? Have you found any effective alternative to total extraction to prevent the ongoing oxidative cycle from migrating into the surrounding timber? I would be very grateful for any specific references you might suggest from your perspective at the Mary Rose. ------------------------------ Simone Morbin Conservator Freelance/Private Practice/Self-employed/Independent Belluno Italy ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 04-18-2026 10:16 From: Simone Morbin Subject: Reassembling a Roman hull from hundreds of fragments: the Iulia Felix project Hello everyone, I'd like to share a recent conservation project involving the Roman vessel Iulia Felix, which may be of interest to colleagues working with archaeological wood and highly fragmentary structures. Project background The ship was originally recovered about thirty years ago, and the surviving elements had undergone different phases of treatment and storage. The current museum team launched a comprehensive reassessment to stabilize, document, and reconstruct the material. Condition and preparation The hull survived as hundreds of fragments, in some cases dozens for a single plank (one element contained around 90). Many surfaces were still covered by thick PEG residues, so I developed an adapted cleaning method using controlled steam combined with mechanical action to safely expose the wood. All fragments were fully re‑catalogued, documented, and reorganized to prepare for reconstruction. Reconstruction process Using 1:1 overlays of the original planking, we matched and reassembled the elements. I acted as the technical link between the different specialists involved - archaeologists, conservators, and the engineer/architect responsible for the support - ensuring that documentation, interpretation, and physical assembly remained aligned. Conservation treatments Over 2024–2025 we carried out: final cleaning of PEG residues identification of missing pieces among dispersed fragments structural joins using epoxy resin gap‑filling and edge stabilization preparation of elements for mounting Mounting and interpretation During assembly, some initial hypotheses were refined as new correspondences emerged. Working with the architect and archaeologists, we adjusted the support structure to reflect a more accurate hull geometry while maintaining stability and readability. Outcome The reconstructed portion of the Iulia Felix was completed and inaugurated on 18 December 2025. The project offered valuable insights into the challenges of working with long‑stored PEG‑treated wood and with large archaeological structures surviving only as fragmentary elements. I'd be glad to hear how others have approached similar reconstructions or long‑term PEG treatments. More information about the vessel and the exhibition can be found on the museum's website: Museo Nazionale di Archeologia subacquea dell'Alto Adriatico di Grado <https://museoarcheologiasubacqueagrado.cultura.gov.it/> Museo Nazionale di Archeologia subacquea dell'Alto Adriatico di Gradoremove preview <https://museoarcheologiasubacqueagrado.cultura.gov.it/>Museo Nazionale di Archeologia subacquea dell'Alto Adriatico di GradoIl Museo Nazionale di Archeologia Subacquea dell'Alto Adriatico custodisce un tesoro straordinario riemerso dalle profondità del mare. View this on Museo Nazionale di Archeologia subacquea dell'Alto Adriatico di Grado > <https://museoarcheologiasubacqueagrado.cultura.gov.it/> Below is one of the reconstructed sections of the hull, now on display at the museum. ------------------------------ Simone Morbin Conservator Freelance/Private Practice/Self-employed/Independent Belluno Italy ------------------------------ 6.From: Jordan Tanner Posted: Wednesday April 22, 2026 8:39 PM Subject: RE: Lead Abatement/Encapsulation: Restoration Message: Hi Emily, I am the Conservator for Special Collections and Archives at UNLV, so we are neighbors! While I do books and paper mostly, it might be good to be connected (even for future things). I may not be able to help much here, but I am curious about the project and what your needs are. ------------------------------ Jay Tanner He/Him/They Conservator, Special Collections and Archives University of Nevada, Las Vegas United States [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 04-14-2026 12:52 From: Emily Fellmer Subject: Lead Abatement/Encapsulation: Restoration Hello, Our institution is restoring a sculptural neon sign from the mid-1950s and a portion of the paint was tested positive for lead. We are having a difficult time sourcing local vendors in Las Vegas to remediate the lead prior to metal work and repainting. Does anyone have any contacts for lead abatement or encapsulation companies that are willing to travel for this type of work or know of any conservators near the west coast that travel to conduct this type of work? Thank you in advance for your guidance and recommendations. Thank you, Emily Fellmer Senior Collections Manager The Neon Museum ------------------------------ Emily Fellmer Senior Collections Manager Neon Museum Las Vegas United States ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to https://community.culturalheritage.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?UserKey=d16eaa87-0f69-494b-9f2f-303dbc1222e1&sKey=fab9aa4f27a04c5d876e&GroupKey=757a8f16-505f-4323-8e74-e376757aa9f7.
